MISCELLANEOUS OCCUPATIONS

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES

During the last fifty years the people in rural as well as urban areas have become more health and disease conscious. The good progress that medical and health services have achieved in the district could be seen from the increase in the number of medical facilities, such as hospitals, primary health centres, etc. as also in the number of doctors, nurses and in the number of persons taking advantage of these facilities made available to them.

In 1921, there were 86 (78 males, 8 females) medical practitioners of all kinds, including dentists, oculists and veterinary surgeons. In the same year the number of midwives, vaccinators, compounders, nurses, masseurs, etc., stood at 113 (including 87 females). In 1931, 443 persons (327 males, 116 females) followed medicine as their principal occupation while in 1921 only 199 persons (101 males, 95 females) were engaged in this profession.

The 1931 Census classified these services as follows:

This statement shows that in 1931 there were only one dentist and four veterinary surgeons in the district. In 1951, 639 persons (483 males, 156 females) were engaged in medical and health services. Of the total, 193 (including 56 females) were registered medical practitioners, 11 midwives, 12 vaccinators (all males), 115 compounders (112 males, 3 females), and 76 nurses. In 1951, there also existed vaidus, hakims, and other persons practising medicine without being registered and who numbered 150 (136 males, 14 females).

As per the 1961 Census, 1,938 persons (1,418 males, 520 females) were engaged in medical and health services. Of the total of 1,181 (814 males, 367 females) i. e., about 61 per cent were in urban areas of the district.

The following statement further shows in brief the medical facilities available in the district, during the years 1961 and 1965.

Bureau of Economics and Statustics, Government of Maharashtra, Bombay.

Generally a doctor now a days has a busy time throughout the year. A medical practitioner earns between Rs. 300 and Rs. 800 per month, and even higher in the case of specialists in the field. The earning of a person engaged in this profession is determined by several factors, Such as, location of his practice-whether in urban areas or rural areas, whether he has undertaken general practice or is a specialist, the ability of the practitioner to diagnose the disease and more particularly upon the confidence of the patients enjoyed by him.

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